JC woke up horny.
While the other guys had made plans to make use of their time off, he decided to sleep. He had been dreaming about a very naked Casey. Nothing had happened in the dream yet, but it was about to, and he was a little disappointed to have been awakened before it did.
He turned off the alarm on the bedside clock to his right. According to the bluish numbers, it was just after five. He and Casey had decided to meet up at 6:30 and, having showered just before he went to bed, he figured he had plenty of time to get ready. Stretching his limbs out, he lay flat on his back and looked up at the ceiling, mulling things over.
No one would have ever described him as particularly impulsive; he liked schedules, and order, and continuity. His life consisted of goals, detailed plans to meet those goals, and lots of hard work. It wasn't that he never relaxed; it was just that even his downtime was relatively controlled. They all joked that although Chris was the oldest, JC was definitely the father of the group. He was mature, the level headed one. The one who didn't let the sometimes crazy nature of their lives affect him. He wasn't a stick-in-the-mud, or a prude; it was just that a lot of what the other guys thought was fun just...wasn't, for him.
In the very beginning, he had been the only one of them in a committed relationship. When he ended things with Kim, it had nothing to do with, as she suspected, the female frenzy created wherever *NSYNC went. It was a decision he made wholly based on the fact that his music and his group were the single most important things in his life, and he felt bad hanging on to a relationship that he had no intention of contributing to in any meaningful way. She accused him of cheating but he never had. There were some girls after her; a few were completely casual, and a couple were not. AnnaBeth had come next, and for nearly three years, she was it.
AnaBeth Carvalho was an undeniably beautiful lingerie model. He liked to listen to her speak in her native Brazilian Portuguese. He also liked that, as gorgeous as she was, she was driven. She'd put herself through college with the money she made from modeling. She was sophisticated and cultured, and maybe due to the fact that she was four years his senior, she seemed to know exactly what she wanted. Unfortunately, what she wanted, and made no secret of telling him, was marriage and kids and the kinds of things JC was nowhere near ready to think about. Conversations about the future made him uncomfortable, but he wanted to keep the peace in his relationship.
For awhile he was able to dodge AnaBeth's questions about the future with vague answers. Finally she told him, in no uncertain terms, that she wasn't getting any younger and that modeling wasn't going to last forever, and if she was going to invest anymore time in their relationship, she needed a guaranteed return in the form of a proposal and a sizable engagement ring. When he balked, she made the decision that they should go their separate ways shortly thereafter.
It was amicable enough, at least on his part. Though he'd spent the better part of three years with her, he wasn't as heartbroken about their breakup as people expected. He cared for her to be sure, and he enjoyed being with her. But although he had said the words, he was never one hundred percent that he was in love with her. Marriage, with all of the permanence it suggested, was not even in his peripheral thoughts, but on some level he knew that if it ever came to that, it wasn't going to be with her. At first that made him feel guilty, but when he heard about her engagement to a Moroccan businessman thirty years her senior, approximately two months after they broke up, he felt something more akin to resentment. Although that was something he kept to himself. The split happened a few months before the most recent tour had begun, and in the time since, JC had, as Casey pointed out, enjoyed the private company of more than a few women. He was licking his wounds, distracting himself. Even though he hadn't wanted to marry AnaBeth, it stung a little bit that she jumped into something so serious mere weeks after they ended. But he was still relatively picky about the women he spent intimate time with. Although he was inclined to see the beauty in all women as a general rule, there was a certain aesthetic he appreciated in a woman he was spending intimate time with.
JC was also controlled about the way in which he handled his casual hookups, not being a person generally given to excess in any way. Unlike certain other members of his group, namely Joey and Chris, he preferred quality over quantity, and he also had no patience for drama. He hated seeing pictures of himself in tabloids, and so he was always very discreet, usually choosing to spend time with women he already knew. He also mostly dated older women; they tended to be a lot less emotional and he could be a lot more upfront about what he wanted and expected. They were also less prone to becoming prematurely attached. He liked that.
But now there was Casey. And, prematurely or not, he was beginning to think that he was the one becoming attached. Despite the intense nights together, and the fact that they really seemed to click outside of that, she was content to keep things light. And he was more or less OK with going with it. For now. A small smile played on his lips as he recounted the past several weeks. He found it both amusing and a little ridiculous that no one else seemed to be the least bit surprised by what was happening between them.
He first heard about the new singer when she did a song with Busta Rhymes the previous summer. Justin and Chris had the opportunity to meet her when she performed at a show they attended in DC. They came back excited; she was, they both agreed, an extremely talented vocalist and performer. Her show was young, fun, and sure to keep the crowd hype in preparation for *NSYNC; they immediately suggested she open up for them on tour. Having had the chance to hang out with her for a bit, they assured the others that she was super cool and they'd all like her. Justin had also pointed out, at least a couple dozen times, that she was hot.
Her sound was more urban than theirs and her debut CD boasted some some well-known names producing and guesting on a couple of her tracks. But there was so much genre overlap in pop music these days; they were confident *NSYNC's audience would enjoy her, and soon details were worked out for her to join the tour.
In between the last date of the previous tour and preparation for the new one, they all took a bit of downtime in Orlando. The label held a celebratory private event downtown club as a kind of congratulations for their very successful tour. Casey, a few other artists on the label's roster, and various VIPs were invited to the party. JC was late; never one to miss an opportunity to collaborate, he had gone into the studio with a couple of his local musician friends.
By the time he got to the club, introductions had been made, the music was loud, the alcohol was flowing, and the dance floor was crowded; none of his band mates were in sight. He had finally found Johnny talking to a guy he had never seen before. Johnny introduced the guy as Tony Brown, Casey's musical director; he'd be joining her on the tour. JC was pretty laid-back and generally non-judgmental about people. But that first impression of Tony left a bad taste in his mouth. He couldn't quite put his finger on it, but something about the guy rubbed him the wrong way. Unfortunately, his initial intuition was proved true later.
His cell phone rang, interrupting his thoughts. He grinned when he saw the number. "Hey. I was just thinking about you."
From the other end, Casey smiled. "Yeah? What were you thinking?"
His thoughts flitted back to the dream he'd been in the midst of when the alarm went off. "I was thinking that I'm really looking forward to seeing you tonight." He glanced at the clock; it was now a quarter to six. "We're still on for 6:30, right?"
"Um, that's actually why I called you," Casey began timidly. "I know you said you wanted to go out, but would you be OK if we just stayed in? We could order room service or...I don't know."
He was completely fine with the prospect of spending the evening in his hotel room with her, but there was something about the tone of her voice that concerned him. "Sure, room service is fine. But, um, is everything all right?"
Casey sighed. "Yeah, it's fine. I just...I'll just come to your room at 6:30, OK?"
JC agreed and they got off the phone. Assuming she had talked to her manager by now, he wondered what she had to say to him. He got up to get ready.
***
Casey applied a little more lipstick and looked at her reflection in the mirror. "Is this OK?" She turned to face Jasmine.
"¡Que linda, mami!" Jasmine exclaimed from her spot on one of the two beds.
"!Gracias!"
Jasmine stacked a few pillows up and leaned back against them. "When are you meeting him?"
"In about fifteen minutes." Casey smoothed her hands down the front of her dress and sat down on the other bed, facing her friend. She glanced at the clock.
"And after you get to his room, how long do you think it'll be before that lovely dress of yours is crumpled on the floor?" Jasmine deadpanned.
Casey giggled. "About fifteen minutes." She took a deep breath and sobered. "Dara thinks this whole thing is a bad idea."
Jasmine twirled a jet black lock around her index finger. "She's supposed to think that. It's her job."
Casey absently pulled at some strands of her own hair, which was flat ironed straight down around her shoulders. Offstage she usually pulled her hair back and kept her makeup to a minimum. Tonight, however, she decided to go for a slightly more glamorous look. Even though she and JC no longer had plans to go out, she put on what she was originally planning on wearing, opting for a pale yellow strapless sundress.
"I know it is, but still." She groaned. "She brought up Tony today. And the fact that I need to avoid anymore...drama."
Jasmine made a little snort of disgust. "JC and Tony are nothing alike. No matter what happens between you two, nothing could be as crazy as all that was."
Casey's dark eyes clouded over at the memory. "Hmm." She shook her head, seeming to rouse herself from her thoughts.
"Case," Jasmine said softly.
"Yeah?"
"You really like him, don't you? JC, I mean."
Casey rolled her eyes. "It's been a few weeks, Jazz. We're like...fuck buddies basically."
"Fuck buddies?" Jasmine laughed sarcastically. "Fuck buddies don't have sleepovers. And you've spent how many nights with him over the past few weeks?"
Casey scowled. "Fine. Friends with benefits, then. And I don't spend every night with him."
Jasmine looked down, frowning. "Most of them, though," she mumbled. She looked up again. "Anyway, you didn't answer the question. You like him, don't you?"
Casey chewed her bottom lip, seeming to consider the question. "I...am playing it by ear."
"And what about JC? Is he playing it by ear, too?"
"I don't know." She spun her ring around her thumb. "I haven't asked him and he hasn't volunteered."
That wasn't, she thought guiltily, strictly true. Although he hadn't come out and directly asked her, he'd made it clear on more than one occasion that he was thinking about it. But, Casey thought defiantly, Jasmine didn't need to know all of that.
Jasmine smiled. "Fair enough. But I think JC's a good guy and..." She trailed off, not sure what to say. "It won't be like Tony. Let Dara worry; you just have fun."
Casey sighed and looked at the clock again. "I should go." She got up and headed for the door.
"Hey," Jasmine said softly. "Are you OK, Case?"
Casey straightened her shoulders and flashed a brilliant grin. "Yeah. I'm fine." She grabbed her purse and, with a small wave, she left the room, not exactly feeling fine, but ignoring it for the time being.
***
Standing outside JC's door with Dara's words still floating around her head, Casey felt ill at ease. She took a deep breath and knocked.
JC opened the door and whistled low. "Wow. You look beautiful." He smiled and pulled her into the room.
"Mmm," she breathed as he kissed her. She pulled away. "You look pretty wow yourself."
He wore a lightweight white button down, with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. The top few buttons were open, exposing the Leo necklace he was never without. His jeans, a dark wash denim, were perfectly tailored to his thin frame. His dark hair was expertly sculpted.
"Thanks." He grinned down at her. "So, now that you're here I have an idea; I know you mentioned room service, but I would hate to waste how amazing you look. There's a restaurant here in the hotel and it's supposed to be pretty good; what if we go there? It's a kind of a compromise between going out and staying in, right?"
She nodded. "Sounds good."
***
The restaurant was fairly busy and they hadn't called down for a reservation. Several other people were waiting for tables as it appeared that all available space in the restaurant was taken.
"Room service after all?" Casey suggested as they stood in the vestibule outside.
JC looked around and noticed that the hostess was trying to get his attention. "Maybe not." With a hand on the small of her back, he led her over to the hostess' stand.
The young blonde had a huge smile of recognition on her face. "Oh my gosh, you're JC Chasez!" she exclaimed with a heavy southern accent. "I'd heard you were staying here, but..." She took a deep breath and seemed to try to steady herself. "I'm sorry. I'm a huge fan and--" She stopped again, eyes wide, and noticed Casey for the first time. "Casey Whitaker! Are you guys like, together?" she asked incredulously.
"Uh, Allyson," JC began politely, noticing her name tag, "we just want a table, if that's possible?"
Her face reddened slightly and she straightened up. "Oh my gosh, I'm sorry. That's totally none of my business. Um..." She looked down at the seating chart on the podium in front of her. "Hold on one second." She turned and picked up the phone that was on the wall behind her shoulder.
JC looked down at Casey, noticing the wariness on her face.
Allyson turned back to them after hanging up the phone. "We'll have a table ready for y'all in about five minutes." She looked up shyly. "Um, could I have your autograph, please? Both of y'all?" They agreed and signed napkins for her. "By the way," she drawled before they moved away from her stand. "if y'all are together, y'all make a really cute couple."
***
They were seated near the back of the restaurant at a table nestled into a secluded alcove. The picture window directly behind them offered an unrestricted view of the gardens surrounding the property; tiny white lights lit up the trees and bushes, adding sparkling ambience to the scene. The decor was muted honey and celadon. A heavy curtain hung in the archway, separating the small room from the rest of the restaurant visually, and adding a bit of a sound barrier as well.
Casey studied the menu with her thoughts elsewhere. "...usually these kinds of things get out there...are y'all...together?" What am I doing? Her thoughts swirled as her stomach churned.
JC stopped in the middle of the small talk he was making when he realized that she was not hearing any of it. "Casey. Casey?"
She looked up to see JC's blue eyes staring quizzically at her. "Huh?"
"Are you all right? You seem a little out of it."
She smiled self-consciously. "I'm fine. I'm, uh, just hungry." She mentally crossed her fingers while telling the white lie. The menu boasted contemporary American cuisine with a French influence and although everything sounded amazing, she was finding it difficult to concentrate.
"Are you sure that's all?" JC asked quietly.
She had agreed to come down to the hotel's restaurant easily enough, but ever since she came to his room that evening, he noticed the bemused expression that hadn't left her face. So far, everything between them had happened naturally, and effortlessly. But now, staring at her across the table, there was a distance that he couldn't account for.
Casey finally met his eyes. She opened her mouth to tell him, yet again, that she was fine, but something about the way he was staring at her made her stop. "No," she said softly, surprising even herself with her honesty.
"Ok," he began slowly, "do you want to talk about it?"
Their server interrupted at that moment to take their orders and in the few minutes that it took, JC's thoughts raced as he tried to anticipate what she might be about to say. He was positive that in terms of the physical nature of their burgeoning relationship, she was more than happy. He was also fairly certain that she was enjoying the time they were spending together as much as he was. Then he remembered that she'd spoken to her manager earlier.
Food and drink orders placed, and the curtain tucked safely back over the private space, Casey sighed. "I told Dara about us. And I made it clear that it's going to continue to be an ongoing thing," she started. "But she's, um, concerned about some things and, honestly...I am, too."
He nodded slowly. "Like what?"
Casey's stomach was in knots; after what Dara had said, the hostess recognizing them the way she had and bluntly asking if they were together, made her feel exposed in a way she didn't like.
She closed her eyes briefly and gave her a head small shake. "I'm not like you, JC."
"How am I?" He raised one eyebrow.
"You're...structured. You're so obviously a rules guy."
"A rules guy?" he asked indignantly, making a face.
"You know what I mean. Like, the way you never come out with us after a show if we have an early morning. And you're always the guy who knows exactly where the next show is going to be. And when I watch you during soundcheck--"
"You watch me at soundcheck?" he interrupted with a crooked grin.
She blushed and ignored his question. "You're always the one who's always right on time and right on the mark and just...you're that guy. I bet you don't even speed."
He laughed lightly. "What's wrong with that?"
"Nothing's wrong with it. Someone has to be that guy. The thing is." She stopped and took a sip from her water goblet. "I'm not that guy."
"Oh, really?" he retorted with a sly smile.
She stuck her tongue out at him before continuing. "I do whatever pops into my head and worry about the consequences later. I'm not structured, or orderly. And I definitely speed."
He chuckled and waited for her to continue, running his finger along the rim of his glass.
"We agreed to just see what happens with this...thing that's going on with us. And mostly, that's fine with me. But it's just..." She absently twisted at the silver ring on her thumb.
"My manager knows. And your manager knows. And freaking everyone on the tour knows. And we're here. And we're in public. And this is...this is different. This is other people--people that we know--knowing what we're doing behind closed doors. And it's potentially a whole lot of other people that we don't know, speculating. And normally, I don't care about any of that. But tonight when Allyson asked if we were together like that it just made me feel...exposed."
JC lightly played his finger around the rim of water goblet. Just as he was about to speak, their server returned with the Pinot Noir they had chosen to go with their meal, as well their hors d'oeuvres. Once their wine glasses were filled, the server assured them that their entrees would follow shortly, and again left them alone in the alcove.
Casey took a deep gulp of her wine. "I just can't afford any more drama. And you're nothing like Tony so I'm not saying it's the same thing, but..." She took another deep breath. "I have to tread lightly. For the sake of my career. And I guess I just need you to know that, OK?"
JC swirled the wine in his glass for a moment before looking up at her. "Casey, I'll be honest with you: I don't care about people knowing--or thinking they know--what I'm doing behind closed doors or who I'm doing it with. One of the things I've learned about this business is that someone is always going to have something to say about something you're doing, or something they think you're doing.
"But," he paused and leaned a little closer to her. "This business is stressful enough; this part--us--this should be easy and fun. I'm having a lot of fun with you, and I'm willing to tread as lightly as you need me to."
She felt every bit of tension leave her as he said those words. She moved in closer to him and brushed her fingers across his. "You are...unexpected, JC," she whispered.
Remembering her words from their first night together, he took her hand and kissed her palm. "Sometimes unexpected can be great."
***
They stood in the elevator side by side, comfortably silent. At some point JC had slipped his fingers into hers and he was thinking about how remarkably normal being close to her felt; without her seeming to take notice, he stared down at her, wondering what she was thinking.
He pushed the number nine on the keypad and Casey snickered. "So you just assume that I'm coming back to your room tonight, huh?" Although they were usually on the same floor, this time her room was on the floor below his.
"Aren't you?" he asked with a cocky grin.
"Yes, but you know what they say about assuming." She smiled back at him.
The doors opened on the ninth floor and they made their way to his room. Once inside, Casey dropped her purse and JC wrapped his arms around her, pulling her in tight against his body. "You look amazing in that dress," he whispered.
"Thank you." She closed her eyes as his breath tickled her ear.
"I bet you look even more amazing out of it," he said with a straight face.
Casey threw her head back with a laugh and he kissed her neck. She felt light-headed and slightly intoxicated. Though they had finished the pinot noir at dinner, she knew what she was feeling had nothing to do with the alcohol. Every time he touched her or kissed her, or fixed those gorgeous blue eyes on her, she felt the same way. It enticed her, excited her, and also made her feel vaguely anxious.
The last eighteen months of her life had been an insane crazy whirlwind; most of it was wonderful, but some of it wasn't. She was hoping that JC would fit into the former category, but she couldn't be sure. And she wasn't sure she could handle him fitting into the latter. His hands were unzipping her dress and she decided to stop thinking.
"I want you so bad," he breathed before crushing his mouth against hers.
Casey moaned against him, returning the kiss as fervently as he was.
"You have no idea how hard it was for me to keep my hands to myself downstairs." Kissing her neck, he began guiding her backward further into the room.
She was covered in goosebumps up and down her skin, as was the case whenever he touched her. And sometimes, even when she just anticipated him touching her. Her stomach fluttered and she shivered involuntarily. They'd been doing this for weeks now, and every time she felt like, as cliche as it sounded, it was the first time all over again. He turned her on in ways that no one had before.
They made their way to the bed and JC turned her around so that her back was to him. He unzipped her dress and, after she kicked off her shoes, helped her step out of it. "Casey," he groaned, taking in the sight of her.
Her lingerie was the exact same pale yellow shade as her dress, and the almost see-through lace left very little to the imagination. She knew when she was putting it on that he would absolutely love it; so far, she was right.
"You like?" She licked her lips and smirked at him.
He guided her again until she was facing the mirror on the wall opposite them. "You are so sexy."
Their eyes met in the mirror. The intensity of his blue eyes staring at her so naked with passion and desire, left her feeling untethered. She was breathing heavy, nearly panting, and he hadn't even done anything yet.
Not breaking their eye contact, he cupped both of his hands around her breasts while still trailing soft kisses along her shoulders and the back of her neck. When his teeth lightly grazed the sensitive skin behind her ear, Casey's eyes fluttered closed and a soft moan escaped her.
"Open your eyes," he said huskily against her ear. "Watch."
She opened her eyes and watched with lustful fascination as he unclasped her bra and let it fall to the floor. He placed his hands back over her breasts, eyes still trained on hers, and she covered his hands with hers. He pulled her tighter and lightly grinded up against her, expertly rolling her nipples gently beneath his fingers, and she dropped her head back against his shoulder. She could feel his growing arousal through his jeans; and though her desire was less physically evident, she was positive she had never been as turned on as she was in that moment.
They continued to stare at each other in the mirror. Kissing her neck, JC removed one of his hands from her breasts and ever so slowly walked his fingers down her body until he reached the top of her panties. They were lacy and strappy, and exposed much more than they covered. He briefly played with the top of them before sliding his hand down further, further right to where she most wanted his touch. With a smirk, he began rubbing her through the thin material.
Casey's breath caught in her throat and her legs started to tremble even as her chest heaved. "I'm not going to let you fall," JC promised against her ear, keeping up a gentle rhythm.
She opened her mouth to respond him but could only whimper in reply. Her breathing quickened as his fingers worked their way under her underwear, and her breath hitched when he slid two fingers inside her. She had told him before that his fingers were magic, and she thoroughly believed it was true. Maybe it was his skill on both the piano and the guitar, but when he touched her, he seemed to always know exactly how and where to touch her to make her feel unglued. He always found the perfect spot, with the perfect amount pressure and the perfect rhythm.
"This feels good, right, Baby?" he whispered against her.
His voice was husky and deep and sent heat all through her. She was watching him, fighting against the urge to let her eyes close, looking back and forth between his eyes, so steadily fixed on hers, and his hands working magic between her legs.
Between the sound of his voice in her ear as he told her how much she turned him on, the energy in his eyes and the sheer eroticism of watching it all in a mirror, it wasn't long before Casey began to feel that familiar build up.
JC could feel her body tensing and trembling against his. "You're close aren't you?" She opened her mouth to speak again and still, only small whimpering sounds came out and she nodded fiercely. He bit her ear gently. "Not yet," he said as he removed his fingers.
Casey's jaw dropped. "The fuck?" she swore, chest heaving.
He smiled coyly and brought her back over to the bed. "Lay back," he commanded.
She propped herself up on the pillows and with one hand and no warning, he peeled her soaking underwear away from her body and discarded it on the floor. He eyed her with a cheeky grin before bringing his mouth to her inner thigh. He dragged teeth and tongue and lips across the delicate skin of her leg, moving purposely up to the juncture of her thighs.
Casey let her eyes close and concentrated on every sensation he evoked from her. He'd already brought her close in front of the mirror and she knew she wasn't going to last long with his mouth on her. As his mouth found her, she ran her fingers through his hair and let out the breath she didn't even know she'd been holding in a whoosh. His tongue alternated between insistent nips and flicks, and a steady massage, and she rocked her hips to his rhythm. Using his lips to suckle at her gently, he slid two fingers back inside of her. Slowly bringing them in and and out of her he looked up at her for a moment.
"Tell me when you're there, Baby. I want to hear you."
Before she could respond she felt his tongue against her again and all coherent thought left her head. With his free hand, JC held her hips down, keeping his face between her legs. She pulled at his hair and moaned his name repeatedly.
Her skin was flushed, like she'd been running, her eyes squeezed tight. She arched her back and he kept her from bucking on the bed. Her breasts were up in the air, each nipple hard and aimed at the ceiling. She gasped, her body trembling violently, her toes curling up tightly. Not letting up on his attack, JC glanced up, loving the sheer pleasure he saw on her face.
Her release coursed through her in waves of electricity that seemed unending and all she could do was gasp his name over and over in a sort of frenzied mantra, until she could breathe normally.
No sooner was her breath regulated than he hovered over her, smirking. "I love watching you come," he murmured, bringing his lips, still wet with her arousal, to hers. She kissed him almost greedily before he pulled away to look at her. "You make the sexiest faces."
Casey laughed. "I make faces? That sounds...terrible." He rolled them both over so that she was on top. She sat up to straddle him, and began unbuttoning his shirt.
"No, it's not terrible. It's ridiculously sexy. You close your eyes really tight and then you--"
"JC!" she squealed. "I don't want you to tell me what my ‘o' face looks like! You say it's sexy; I'll take you at your word."
"Ok." He sat up so that he could discard his unbuttoned shirt. "Well, you sound really sexy when you come, too. And I can always tell when you're close because it doesn't matter how loud you are before--"
"I make faces and I'm loud. Thanks." She leaned over, dragging her tongue and lips along his jaw.
His hands settled on her breasts, where his fingers explored slowly. "What? Being loud isn't a bad thing. You're not like, crazy loud. You're just vocal. That's a good thing; I like to know when I'm doing something you like and you always let me know. Loudly." He tugged at her hair and groaned as her teeth grazed his neck lightly. "Anyway, when you're close you always--"
"JC." Casey sat up suddenly, resting her hands on his chest, and looked down at him sternly.
"What?" He stared at her, eyes narrowed.
"You're still wearing your pants, underwear, socks and shoes. And you're talking far too much. Instead of telling me how sexy I look and sound when I come, how ‘bout you get naked and make it happen again. Now."
He grinned as he pulled her head back down for another kiss. "You're kind of impatient when you're horny, Casey."
"Mmm." She moaned into his mouth, her fingers working on unfastening his belt. "You've said that before; clearly it doesn't bother you much."
"Clearly," he grunted, pushing his pants down.
***
Casey disentangled herself from a sleeping JC and got out of bed. After slipping on the nearest shirt she could find, she stood at the foot of the bed and watched him. He was on his back and his diaphragm rose and fell rhythmically; he looked peaceful. She turned and went over to the window. After opening the curtains just enough to peek out into the moonlit night, her mind began to wander.
The past few weeks with him had been a wonderful, much needed distraction. She genuinely enjoyed the time she was spending with him, in and out of bed. But it hadn't escaped her attention that things were moving rather quickly. For the months previous they had barely exchanged expected pleasantries and now...now she was spending yet another night in his bed.
Justin thought it was funny, saying that he knew they were going to end up together one way or another. But this way was not necessarily the way she wanted it. It felt different, but it reminded her far too much of Tony. And that was a subject she wasn't quite ready to revisit.
"You OK?"
Casey looked behind her to see that JC was sitting up, eyeing her with heavy lids. She smiled. "I'm fine. Go back to sleep."
He gave her a sleepy grin and lay back down. Within seconds, he was snoring softly.
After another few moments of standing in silence she rejoined him in bed. She sidled up next to him, sliding one arm across his stomach. Without waking he shifted, bringing his arm out to wrap around her and pull her closer. A few moments beyond that, she was asleep.
